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| 9798224029914
| B0D4BBFNZG
| 4.44
| 352
| unknown
| Jun 27, 2024
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it was amazing
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You been a good old wagon, you got me there in style / Oh, but you left me here to walk a ragged mile (The New SF Blues – Hurray for the Riff Raff). Th You been a good old wagon, you got me there in style / Oh, but you left me here to walk a ragged mile (The New SF Blues – Hurray for the Riff Raff). This is probably obvious by now, but I’m actually not all that great at expressing my emotions. I kind of try to make up for it by using an exuberant amount of exclamation points, but I sometimes wonder if that’s enough, you know? This is why I’d be a terrible BookTok or YouTube book reviewer, because I’d be on there saying shit like “Ahhhhh this was the best book I’ve ever read in my life!!!!!!” with zero inflection in my voice, sitting there with my “:|” face, all neutral-like. When I finished this book a little bit ago, all you really need to know is that I kind of just stood up from my chair and then sat back down in repeated succession like some kind of Sim. This book was good though. Really good! And I’m not even lying when I say that it’s probably going to win my own personal award of “Best Fantasy of 2024!” It’s a highly esteemed honor, if you didn’t know. This novel reads like a folk song, as pretty as can be. Which felt like a breath of fresh air in my endless and continuous reading journey, because the fact is, I kind of dipped on the fantasy genre a little bit ago. I abandoned my boy! I don't know, I guess things were getting a little too samey for my taste. I mean, all these books with the same overindulgence on world building, the same weird worship of royalty and “man’s divine right to rule,” and the same cookie-cutter, doe-eyed main character starring opposite the resident “bad boy” in order to satisfy some kind of algorithmic “enemies-to-lovers” formula, I can see in perfect hindsight why I dropped off. But hey, no worries! I can solely put the blame on Fox of Fox Hall for pulling my ass back into the fold. And I’m glad I’m saying all this in writing, because now you can just imagine the all of the vast excitement in my voice rather than me having to act it out. “Yoo~oou’ve got me feeling emotions” and all that. Anyway, we follow Fox, a beautiful and clever bard who also happened to be the king’s favorite until recently falling out of favor, as he tactfully maneuvers, with knots in his stomach, through the complicated machinations of court-life. At court, he’s constantly being subjected to subtle and not so subtle mockery from the high-class nobles who think lowly of him and feel threatened by his presence due to his “commoner” status and the fact that he was able to move up in the world despite that fact. Being justifiably afraid that his new precarious standing with the king will lead straight back to him living on the streets, Fox has to find some kind of lifeline. The only problem being that he’s utterly alone… that is, until during one particularly public humiliation from these rich jerks too many, a knight in shining armor by the name and title of Byr Conall comes to the rescue and defends him. This catches Fox’s attention immediately and he spends the rest of the story wondering what the shape of his cock is like. That’s what they call a learning curve! Badum tssss. Okay, but really, I was captivated by this book. A lot of “Cinderella” type stories get so caught up in the extravagance, the flash, and the excess of the whole new world and lifestyle that Cinderella finds herself in, that they don’t really take the time to properly explore what such an upheaval would actually do to someone. What I think this book does masterfully in this respect is closely examine that journey and more realistically depicts what would actually happen when a kind man with a predilection for justice tries to romance a strong, but wounded person who believes that their only purpose in life is being useful. They’d take a while to get used to the idea that they can be happy, no? How can a person with severe (and justified) trust issues learn to love and trust wholly and completely? That’s what this book is; a patient and caring love letter to those who need a little more time than most. That’s why Fox of Fox Hall affected me so much, because it’s nice when a story takes the time to take care of the characters, and doesn’t just try to move past the natural conflict too quickly by stamping a big old “happily-ever-after” at the end and calling it a day. But you know, Fox and Conall aren’t the only main characters of this book, the third most important dude here is the King, Domvoda. And yeah, he sucks, but the way he’s written doesn’t suck, that’s for sure. I’m a little ashamed to admit it, but I think the scenes with just him and Fox conversing, meaning when they were verbally sparring, ended up being some of my favorite chapters in the whole book. It’s not the easiest thing to write awkward and tense stand offs without the writer eventually bailing on the scene and writing in some kind of physical altercation, but R. Cooper let the tension lie. Every. Single. Time. They made casual dinner conversations into nail-biting thrillers. The simmering rage, the quiet judgments, the pearl-clutching. It’s great stuff! Seriously, I literally leaned forward from my very comfortable reading position several times whenever they were going at it. It was like I was watching [enter sport name here]! And I liked the way that none of the conflict in the story was directly life-threatening, because the “uncomfortable dinner party” vibes actually helped to highlight the king and his court’s petty and childish nature. I may have hated Domvoda, but I was always happy to see him show up. Really though, fuck him. Well, maybe not, because he was totally going to win my own personal award of “Least Fuckable Man on the Planet – 2024," but El*n Musk’s already won the top spot in that category from now going on until forever. Anyway, it turns out that the ingredients of a beautiful love story combined with beautiful prose will concoct a beautiful potion that’s sole purpose is to enrapture me. I don’t recommend books often (because I’m terrified of somehow doing it wrong haha), but I don’t think it’s too tall an order to ask everyone to read Fox of Fox Hall. Come join me in feeling all the feels! I don’t say it enough, but I do so love it when a book manages to gut-punch me. Oof. “Come here.” Fox affected a shocked look. “With me like this?” “With you however you please.” ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 03, 2024
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Oct 29, 2024
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Aug 13, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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| 9798855400359
| B0CVB8WXR6
| 4.77
| 1,833
| Dec 15, 2023
| Jul 23, 2024
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it was amazing
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None
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Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 2024
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Jul 04, 2024
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Jul 04, 2024
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Paperback
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| B0D5HXHVW3
| 4.58
| 124
| Jun 20, 2024
| Jun 20, 2024
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it was amazing
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"Everything is always changing. And one day soon things are going to be better than this." I loved this. And while I can say it a million times a day, "Everything is always changing. And one day soon things are going to be better than this." I loved this. And while I can say it a million times a day, all day, I’m worried that the true extent of my feelings still won’t come across just right, just the way I need it to. This is serious business! It's a special book, and I think it's important to do it justice. The thing is, my problem is that the emotions inside me are always more vibrant than the way I’m able to express them outwardly. Sometimes I wish all my sincere emotions would burst out of my chest like the Alien chest bursters so that when I say something, the people will know that I said it with a feeling! Then everyone would be able to see exactly where I stand. Let me take a step back for a moment though. You know how I’m always calling myself a hater as if it were a title to be earned or whatever? Yeah well, when I've actually taken a look at the evidence (my reviews, mostly), the truth is that I like most the things I read. Hey, pretty cool! But because I’m always going on and on about how great and wonderful each and every one of the books I read are, I’m a little worried that I’ll start to be seen as the guy who’ll read and love and sing praises over anything. I need to be careful because I never want to accidentally dilute the phrase "I loved this book." I mean, it’s nice that I’m finding so many winners, but there’s no doubt that sometimes phrases similar to “This book is the best of the best of the best, sir!” and “This is the single greatest thing I've ever read!” start to sound more like hyperbolic rhetoric than the heartfelt feelings I’m hoping comes across every time I say them. So, here’s what I’ll do; I’ll list a bunch of things I hate so that when I finally get to saying “I loved this!” a again, instead of the guy in my head I’m arguing against being like, “Wow, the guy who likes everything likes another book. Groundbreaking.” he’ll be like, “Woah, this book must be really good if Mr. Hater over here loved it!” It’s a foolproof plan, really. Okay, it’s listing time! Here I go: I hate Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel. I hate how at the end of family parties you’re expected to hug every person when saying goodbye, no matter how distant said family member actually is. I hate how I can’t block books here on Goodreads so whenever I’m scrolling down on my feed, there’s always a small chance I might come across gross books like that one written by a certain creep who may or may not have bought Twitter. I hate how I can watch one video on YouTube and the algorithm will think that that's now my entire personality. Like, apparently I'm now the world's biggest Friends fan! Ugh. Oh, and finally, I hate how weapons in Breath of the Wild have a durability meter, always breaking whenever I’m dueling goblins and shit. Anyway, now that I’ve regained “Hater Status: 100%,” I can finally say with my whole heart, whole-heartedly; I loved Half-Drawn Boy! Can you believe it? The guy who hates everything likes something! I don’t know, so many of my experiences with contemporary fiction are defined by me being like, “Yeah whatever, it's close enough.” and then slapping a four star rating on the bad boy and calling it a day, so it’s actually really nice to read a book that I can say without a hint of irony or sarcasm that I absolutely adored it. I’ll tell you one thing, there’s nothing half-drawn about my love for this book! This book is interesting because I remember reading This Is Not a Love Story by this author, Suki Fleet, a while ago and feeling emotions so big and powerful that it felt like a chest burster from Alien was about to… wait, I said that already. Um, I also loved that book, but because I read the whole thing in one sitting, it was almost too much for me, too real, to the point where I actually had to take a break from reading their books for awhile. Is that weird? Because I don't mean that as a dig or anything. It's a personal preference thing, because sometimes a book can be full of beautiful sentiment but also overload me with a bad time feeling and aching pains over the characters that I knew I’d need regular breaks for my own sake. Maybe it's not that serious, but sometimes I get affected a little too much by the stories I read. Too in my head. And I knew for a fact that I’d need to be in the right mindset whenever I’d set out to read another one. I guess now is a good time as any to say that even though Half-Drawn Boy took me a little bit to finish, it was so gorgeous and impactful that all I can do is sit here in awe. Gregor and Noah's (hey, I have a similar name!) story has a tender center lovingly wrapped in a dream-like prose and I was pretty much at risk of crying after every couple paragraphs! This novel feels both like something that’s never been done before while also having a lovely classical appeal. It’s like a perfect blend of The Outsiders and Felix Ever After (oh, and maybe with a sprinkling of I Wish You All the Best) without ever feeling like it’s doing too much or doing too little. It’s up there with the greats, is what I’m trying to say. And none of this should have come as a surprise to me... but it really did. I'm gobsmacked! Look, I’m not always super jazzed about reading something solely about a specific identity (because they can sometimes feel a little condescending), and I’ll admit that I had a small worry that this book would be one of those ones that'd end up infantilizing its autistic characters. It didn’t, thankfully, but I can't help but remember this lady’s TikTok (that I saw on twitter) where her whole profile is full of videos of her filming and cheering whenever her autistic brother accomplished literally any task. Like, the way you’d congratulate a child whenever they do something the first time… and I’ve got to say, the whole thing felt incredibly patronizing, exploitative, and gross. I mean, if those videos help people (though I don’t see how they could?) then good on them, but if I were her brother, I'd be distraught. Distraught, I tell you! The worst thing I can imagine is thinking I have a someone who loves and accepts me for who I am, only for them to then turn around and use me for content. Yuck. Selling out your loved ones for precious clout, likes, and digital hugs? Couldn't be me. Yeah well, my fears were alleviated pretty quickly (in maybe the first three pages), because Half-Drawn Boy isn’t doesn't just portray a respectful representation of autism, but also everything else it sets out to represent. It’s beautiful, really. Everything from queer identities to mental health, this is a novel that shines a light on those who fall through the cracks. See, what I enjoyed the most about Half-Drawn Boy is that it takes characters that would normally be delegated to “the friend” character and makes them the heroes of their own stories. It can often feel like people like us, the ones who don't have the luxury of being able to mask as "normal," only exist to orbit around heteronormative stories, and that we’re only there to offer sage advice and maybe get a handout love-interest in the end (cough cough… Tiny from Will Grayson, Will Grayson), so whenever a book like this comes along, I make sure to cherish it. This really is “One in a Million” by Aaliyah! Speaking of identity, I also liked how a lot of this book deals with the classic YA trope of the character’s struggle in finding the right and perfect label for themselves, only to then flip it and say that finding the right word for yourself actually isn’t the most important thing in one’s journey for self-discovery. What’s actually most helpful is finding what works for you at this point in time, understanding that a sense of self is fluid and labels can change and evolve, and what feels right, right now might become something wa~ay different later down the line. And you know what? That it’s totally okay if or when that does happen. Cool, even. The message of this book isn’t that Gregor needs to find the right label for himself, it’s saying that the people around him that love him and he loves back will always be there regardless. It’s a sweet thing to put in a story, and I can see this book being instrumental in helping a lot of young people (or anybody, really) who happen to stumble across it. Another thing I enjoyed was that while there's a positive and nice portrayal of QSA meetings (Queer/Straight Alliance) here, it also showed how, through Gregor, those meetings aren’t for everyone. Like… not to make this about me, but they were never really my thing either, you know? In my experience, there was always that person who was there who would “innocently” ask invasive and overly argumentative debate questions. And other than the fact that a person’s right to exist isn’t a topic up for debate, it’s also important to know that I’ve literally never been interested in having a debate with anyone over anything at any time. "It's just a debate bro, why don't you back up your argument, bro?" Nah man, argue with the wall. Besides, there’s no such thing as a good faith argument with a bigot, their goal is to rile you up and it’s always a waste of time. Anyway, what I was trying to get at is that most, if not all, YA books portray the QSA as some kind of bastion of welcoming acceptance, when that’s not always the case. And even if it were, sometimes sitting around talking about the identity you... identify as only ever accomplishes making people feel uncomfortable rather than safe. Like with Gregor in this book, and like with me in real life. Otherwise, it’s always a nice surprise to come across a book that makes you feel so seen that you come away feeling scrubbed clean and raw. "Feel the rain on your skin"-and all that. Because I think this may be Suki Fleet’s specialty; literature for those who are in desperate need of something achingly sincere. So me, basically. Alright, with that sentiment expressed properly, I think I’ve said all there is that I'm here to say! In short, yep, I loved this! Now can someone please queue up the Frank Ocean lyrics!? I'm sure we're taller in another dimension, you say we're small and not worth the mention / You’re tired of movin', your body's achin’ / we could vacay, there's places to go, clearly, this isn't all that there is (White Ferrari – Frank Ocean). ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 03, 2024
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Aug 24, 2024
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Jun 12, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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| B0CK58W4DN
| 4.12
| 257
| unknown
| Sep 29, 2023
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it was amazing
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Only for the night, I’m kiddin' / Only for life, yeah, homie for life, yeah / Only for life, let’s get it (LOVE. – Kendrick Lamar). Hi. I’ve come here Only for the night, I’m kiddin' / Only for life, yeah, homie for life, yeah / Only for life, let’s get it (LOVE. – Kendrick Lamar). Hi. I’ve come here to tell everyone that this book is my kind of book. I don’t know why I worded this like the start of a canceled YouTuber’s apology video, but my muted tone is the only way I can convey my absolute love for this book without me just spamming a hundred exclamation points. Oh what the hell, I’ll do that anyway; I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!! And so on, and so on. It really checks all the boxes and then some, because, while yes, it is a lovely queer romance, it’s also a story how all the different layers of privilege inherently mold our level of comfort and the way we participate in society. That sounds obvious, but this story was really interesting to me because while it’s centered around a relationship between two “common folk,” it actually takes the time to explore what a romance between two working class men of this particular time period (is it super obvious that I forgot the specific year?) would actually mean, and how they’d go about making it work. Dangerous repercussions and all. See, in most of the historical romances that I read, the pairing normally includes some kind of a duke or a lord or a prince or a whatever-the-fuck, and it gets a little boring after a while, you know? I assume authors do this because it adds a pretty little safety net for the main couple to have their “happy ending” in unhappy times. They'll buy land in a better place or find shelter in some other rich person's home or the bigoted people in their lives will magically turn over a new leaf when they realize the error of their ways. It's a nice thought, but what about the ones who don't have that privilege? Who’s going to tell their stories? I’d like to know. The worst ones are those books that have the rich, lordly, main character masquerade among the working class, pretending like they "get it," thinking they're doing something for the common folk on the ground when they're actually just walking around like Nickeled and Dimed or whatever. So, a million stars to this book for portraying a duke who’s actually just a dick (the dick duke, if you will). Because if we were going by normal story conventions, he'd probably be the main character! Oh wait, I should probably introduce him. The villain of this novel (the narrative is a lot kinder to him, but I think he’s a steaming pile of shit, so villain it is), Lord Warbury, is a gay man who has to go through life hiding pieces of himself, and while, yes, this is obviously sympathetic, it sure never stopped him from treating his valet, Noah (hey, that’s my name) Moorcott, with cold flippancy, or how his sexuality never stops him from using his power and influence to try to bury our other main character, George, another queer man. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Jeez, can this guy use any more commas!?” and to that, I’d say… yes. If I could, I’d be running on this run-on-sentence forever! But seriously though, I don’t think I’ve felt this level of visceral disgust for a character in a book in a long while. The way he’d probably realized a long time ago that he’ll have to live his life in secret meetings while also never once considering for a second that there are other queer folk around him that aren’t as fortunate as him… man, it had me feeling some type of way. Lord Warbury? Let’s be real; he’s not like us. Let's move on to greener pastures, because the actual main romance between one Mr. George Evans and Noah Moorecott was absolutely exquisite, and I’ve literally never used “exquisite” to describe anything in my life! I’m not a fan of using film as the bar to which we should compare other mediums (“This video game is just like a movie! Soo~oo cinematic!”), but this book was just like a movie! The way it ends with a courtroom drama that leads into a fated duel? Ugh, I dig its cinema. And while I think I can safely say that I enjoy reading about any and all time-periods, as anything can be good (and if it’s gay, then doubly so), I will admit that I've veered away from contemporary romances in more recent years because the ones that I’ve read tended to feel a lot more focus-group-tested than I’d prefer. #He-falls-first #Rivals-to-lovers #HEA #Low-Drama... how about I just smash my head into a wall? Okay well, it’s not like I even hate well-oiled machine-type books (most of the time), but if I want to read a book that makes me stare at the wall blankly after finishing it, then I’m going to be over here with my queer historical-fiction. Sometimes I want the books I read to tear me asunder, and that’s what I got with this book. Torn asunder, I am. Go ahead and consider me torn... asunder. Everything about this book was incredibly sweet and loving in a way that’s achingly reminiscent of the best kind of YA novel. I mean, even down to the way that they had to be constantly tip-toeing around Lord Warbury like a couple of teenagers gave their romance a level of innocence that contrasted wonderfully against the backdrop of the tense plot. George and Noah's story made my heart ache from the get-go. And it must be said that their chemistry was electric (boogie woogie, woogie) despite the both of them being rather restrained, stoic men. Let’s just say that it didn’t take long for George to be yearning for more cock from Mr. Moorecott… heh, two conversations and he was already gunning to see his uncut gem! Okay, I’m done. What I'm getting at is that their relationship was portrayed beautifully, and even though their circumstances mostly forced their acquaintance to be met in hidden rooms at the disillusionment of ten o’ clock, it’s still as incredibly pure as it was heart wrenching. The thing is, I’ve noticed that queer relationships in fiction are often subconsciously associated with sentiments of sin and lust more often than something more classically romantic. I remember back in the day whenever I’d see fanart of gay relationships (ships), the artist would sometimes caption it by saying something like, “Oh no, I’m really sinning now by drawing these two together! Teehee!!” And while these were obviously said in jest or even adoringly, I think it’s interesting that in a lot of people’s minds, through word association, queer love is so naturally grouped together with illicit sin and moral failing. Our stories are told through fleeting clandestine meetings and not courtship and roses. And I think that’s the crux of it, that’s what made this novel so special to me. It manages a grand romantic epic without failing its duty as a historically accurate historical-fiction. The Oak and the Ash is a love story about solidarity, companionship, and accountability. But most importantly… it’s a story that’s written in good faith. Trust me, I can tell. “The blank sheet of paper was still waiting for him on the little table in his room. He picked it up and read over the two sentences he had written. His heart sank. But didn’t they say that starting was half the battle?” ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 08, 2024
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Jul 21, 2024
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Jun 08, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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| 1975364791
| 9781975364793
| 1975364791
| 4.58
| 1,796
| Jul 27, 2022
| Sep 26, 2023
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it was amazing
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“I love you’s,” “Happy Birthday’s,” and Ferris Wheel rides, it always amazes me how this series has never once failed in romanticizing the simple thin
“I love you’s,” “Happy Birthday’s,” and Ferris Wheel rides, it always amazes me how this series has never once failed in romanticizing the simple things and making the mundane magical. There are millions of ways that people express their feelings; some show their loving adoration through extravagant date plans and gorgeous presents, and others go the extra mile by diving headfirst in their boyfriend’s niche, slightly obsessive, hyperfixation on gay manga. Sasaki and Miyano? They’ve got a typical thing. In each other's company, they've created a love language that blossoms because they’ve found that special person they can be unabashedly weird around. You and me in a cloud of reverie / Spin around inside my head unendingly (Melt Away – Mariah Carey). ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 30, 2024
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Mar 30, 2024
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Mar 30, 2024
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Paperback
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| 1935560662
| 9781935560661
| B09R6L5DW7
| 4.47
| 250
| Feb 15, 2022
| Mar 01, 2022
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it was amazing
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Babe, there's something tragic about you / Something so magic about you / Don't you agree? (From Eden – Hozier). I’m always hesitant to use the word “ Babe, there's something tragic about you / Something so magic about you / Don't you agree? (From Eden – Hozier). I’m always hesitant to use the word “brilliant” as a descriptor for the things I read because, to me, it’s a special word that should be reserved for the kinds of stories that have a profound and visceral impact. Got to save it for the all-timers, you know? Well... yeah, this book is brilliant. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the best books I’ve ever read and I’m honestly a little at a loss for words here. Hm, where to start, where to start? No idea… how about I rant about the idea of “plot armor?” Whenever I’m looking up reviews for stories that are “realistic” (don’t worry, I’m not vague-posting about anyone here on Goodreads), a common criticism that always crops up is that all the main characters have a crazy amount of plot armor and the fact that we know that the heroes won’t die removes all tension from the story. “Oh, they lived after that lethal blow because of plot armor” or “the villain didn’t finish them off in this moment because of plot armor, blah blah blah.” I mean, sure, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, but to me, the term “plot armor” has become synonymous with like… just having a main character. When I’m reading something, it’s never bothered me if the main character didn't die. Not once. Yeah dude, the protagonist lives throughout the entire thing. What a surprise. You know what happens if they don’t? The story ends, full stop, no more story! This whole “subverting expectations,” “anyone can die” style of writing feels more like a poison rather than something that’s actually breathing new life into storytelling. Everything’s got to be gritty and edgy and needs to stomp on the notions of hope and goodness. They're naïve sentiments and you should feel bad for thinking you'd get a happy ending. –"Fantasy for people who don't like fantasy"– That smug superiority? I blame Game of Thrones. Ahh damn, here I go again. I’ll keep it brief, but when you tackle your story with the mindset that you need to subvert expectations, and strive to do so at every turn, not only does your story ironically become just as predictable than if you were following convention, but the final project will almost always be unsatisfying to the audience. Turns out tropes exist for a reason! Oh, and people really hate it when their favorite characters are killed off purely for shock value. Wow, who would have thought? Look, in no way am I against character deaths, and a lot of the times it can elevate a story to greater heights, but I just think it’s often used as a lazy narrative device for writers to fall back on when they believe that it’s the only way to add stakes and gravity to the story. Uh oh, I guess this comparison isn’t going to be that brief, but Game of Thrones also had this cynical, bitter through-line that people can never change and they’re foolish to even try. Spoilers for season eight of that show, but there was a character named Missandei who starts the show as a slave and ends her journey dying in chains. I'm not going to unpack why that’s literally one of the worst ways to write a character, but my main takeaway is that it’s just an ugly and mean way to finish a character's arc. In Master of Restless Shadows (this book!), Ariz is in a very similar situation, but their arcs couldn’t have diverged in more different ways. Whereas Game of Thrones uses Missandei as a tool, in-universe and out, for another’s development, Ariz is treated with nothing but empathy and concern throughout the narrative. One screams “Well bud, that's just the way the world is!” and the latter dares to ask the question, “But what if it were better?” The ideas of complacency and cruel indifference are spared no second thoughts here. Of course, there’s always a time and place for darker fiction, but it’s also important to remember that you can have incredibly bleak situations in your story without the story becoming about how bleak the world is. Otherwise, despite its hopeful message, there were some things in this book that had me covering my eyes more than any horror movie. The blood-curling villains in this book could seriously give the greats a run for their money. Darth Vader, Walter White, ...Ted Mosby, they can go ahead and move aside because Hierro Fueres is here to take the crown! Seriously though, fuck him. His involvement so smartly written because he’s normally the kind of villain that presents a problem that can only be solved with the word starting with a “g” and ending in a “uillotine,” but there were really good story reasons as to why they couldn’t just get rid of him. While he’s the most personal enemy by far, and with how arrogant and vile he was, the fact that his death remains almost inconsequential in the greater scheme of things was actually incredibly satisfying. Ahh yes, hello again, beautiful poetic justice. His death isn’t given any fanfare, and why should it? The man wasn’t a God, just a bully. But that’s enough comparisons, because I think I’m coming across as weirdly hostile in a review for a book that I loved. Positive thinking, yay! First of all, the characters were perfect, and as expected, Ariz and Fedeles were wonderful, but I could seriously read a million books following just Narsi and Atreu. I almost always hate epilogues, but when I saw that there was more pages with these characters, I was overjoyed. Hell yeah, more time with the boys! A couple of lads, “lad-ing” about. I think I’ve been resisting the urge to come across as a complete fanboy this whole review, but might as well go all out now. No stopping it now! You know why I think Narsi is such a great character? It's because he’s a Disney Princess in a cruel, cruel world, yet he’s never punished or treated like he’s too simple and dim by the narrative. In a story full of manipulators and monsters, he stands out by simply being a good person. I’ve said as much before, but there’s also a good reason in-universe as to why Narsi is so likable to the reader (mostly me) and the characters in the story. He literally has to be. His people are always under scrutiny and any act they commit, be it benevolent or nefarious, is studied under a magnifying glass by bigots and fence-sitting onlookers alike. As he gains greater prominence and status in the story, any wrong move on his end and the chances of escalating the racial violence against his people also increases tenfold. The sad reality is that oftentimes, in this fantasy world and the real one, one person’s actions are unfairly attributed to their race as a whole. But I’ve already talked about how his “walking-between-two-worlds” thing is something that many people of mixed-race heritage go through, so I'll try not to repeat myself too much. What else to say, what else to say? Oh yeah, he's also super relatable because he’s basically always just one more wild ass event away from having a full-on panic attack. Yet, in everyone else’s pov chapters, he’s in complete stone-face-mode, like a sphinx. He’d be going about his business normally, but on the inside his heart rate would be the same as someone being hunted for sport. He truly continues to be the people’s champion. Though, I can’t really talk about him without mentioning his worse half, Atreau. And yup, I still loved him this time around! And because of his presence, the gravity of the situation never felt too heavy. Which helped immensely, because this book remains just a whole lot of fun to read. It’s rare that the “comic relief” guy is also the source of most of the romantic pining I've ever seen in a book. And I like how he spent a lot of his time away from Narsi at the beginning, because when they do finally meet up again, it’s a non-stop roller-coaster ride right up until the epilogue (that I uncharacteristically loved). Fantastic payoff. You’d think it'd get a little old by the millionth time they narrowly escape mortal danger by playing everyone like Atari, or how they always seem to find themselves crawling through gross secret tunnels, but… nope. It was a delight every single time! The book doesn’t go out of its way to be funny, but I couldn’t help but laugh at the increasing absurdities of their situation. They’re supposed to be the non-magical, normal ones, but whenever Atreau and Narsi are apart, they seemed to be competing with each other as to who can get up to the most illegal enterprises. I also loved how Narsi was originally the one with a crush, but he’s completely cool and normal about it. While over there, we’ve got Mr. Famous Writer, Areau, as the smitten one, following Narsi around like a lost puppy. Or how a large portion of the plot involves a play he’s writing with Narsi as one of the extras (so he can keep a close eye on him), and what starts out as a bit part, slowly turns into a lead role. Not because Narsi’s a good actor, but because Atreau uses it as an excuse to stare at him unabashedly. He's in love! I didn’t really have a point here, I just thought that was really sweet. Makes my poor heart burst into flames. Is it totally obvious yet that my favorite thing in the world is a player in love? He’s great, an while he tries to be pragmatic and soulless, at the end of the day, he’s loyal to a fault. Never switching sides, only angles. This is getting pretty long, so I’ll try to wrap this jumbled mess up in some semblance of a bow. Oh, I know. I’ll just list a bunch of things that I liked, that always works! Um, I liked how it was often harrowing and real, but ultimately hopeful and kind. I liked how all the main characters from the previous books showed up to help out in the final battle like they were assembling the gay Avengers. And I especially loved how underneath all the scheming and complicated plots, what actually saved the world in the end was an accidental kindness and a childhood promise. Worldly devastation on a grand scale thwarted by the power of love? I can dig it. I’m a new fan, but Ginn Hale has written some of the most brilliant books I’ve ever read, and I truly, truly, mean that. No tired sigh, no rolling eyes, no irony. “If pure reason wouldn’t move them, then he’d bring his arguments to bear through song, art, and literature. He’d make his ideals light up stages and fill bookshelves.” ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 14, 2024
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Mar 28, 2024
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Mar 14, 2024
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Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||
| 1935560646
| 9781935560647
| B07WGGZHM1
| 4.31
| 483
| Oct 06, 2019
| Oct 08, 2019
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it was amazing
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“Absolution came so easily in theater. A few lyrics and a murderer transformed into a dashing hero.” You know how people are always saying “happy readi “Absolution came so easily in theater. A few lyrics and a murderer transformed into a dashing hero.” You know how people are always saying “happy reading” when starting a new book? I honesty kind of thought that was just a sweet thing that people say to be polite. The thing is, I never actually gave the sentiment all that much thought until I was reading this book, Master of Restless Shadows. Even though it’s pretty long and the story starts in an already lived-in fantasy world, chalk full of history and dynamic characters, I was never bored! Every time I thought I’d read a chapter or two; I’d find myself losing hours. In fact, as I was flying through the pages at an alarming rate, I got increasingly excited to see what came next with every new story development. I’m more of a “broad strokes,” concepts kind of guy, so It's pretty rare that I manage to hang on to every word and every detail without any issues, let alone with a book that isn’t interested in holding your hand through its complicated lore. It was nice because reading this was like opening a present every time I started it back up again! Ahh I see, this is what happy reading is. Don't mind me, the phrase is just going into my normal lexicon. Heads up, I’m seriously going to start throwing that around at every opportunity now! Otherwise, sometimes I get a little insecure because I feel like I’m always reading books from, like, four years ago. It can totally feel like I’m always a step behind, forever catching up. Like I’m missing out on all the hip, new releases! Then I find a gem like this one and the world rights itself again. A little dramatic, I know, but I have a lot of love for this book! It’s just so wonderfully written, rich in detail, and full of tenderness and empathy. The story created here by Ginn Hale is nothing short of a masterpiece. It’s awe-inspiring. This book is like Game of Thrones… if Throne of Games had people of color and queer people that existed outside of cartoonish stereotypes. Or if women were allowed a semblance of agency besides that of “maternal instincts” and motherhood. Woah, where did all that come from? Leftover resentment sometimes seeps through, I guess. It kind of sucks that Game of Thrones is always my go-to frame of reference for political-type fantasy novels, but that’s kind of just how my mind works. You know what? I can come up with a better comparison than that. I mean, I read a lot of fantasy, so I should be able to think of literally any other fantasy book that Master of Restless Shadows is similar to, right? Let’s end the cycle here! Well, it seems like I don’t have one example of other stories with similar vibes… I have several! Seriously, I’m as surprised as you are. Some good ones are: The Thief of Peace by Jess Whitecroft, King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo, A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland, and A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows. Phew, all fantastic stories full of depth and wonder and most importantly, I loved all of them! Now that I’m out of breath with all that listing, I should probably talk a little about this book though. That’s why I’m here after all. Well, there’s not much for me to say in the way of criticism. No really, just love from my corner. It’s perfectly crafted, and so refreshingly character driven that I didn’t even notice all the complicated, overarching plot-lines. This helped me a lot, because by the time I saw the pieces falling into place all I could do was whatever the real life equivalent of an exclamation point is. A gasp, I suppose. But that doesn’t sound as good, so I’ll say that this is a “!” kind of book. The way the narrative was handled was a welcome surprise because a lot of the times in the “realistic” fantasy books that have a million story threads and several different point-of-view characters, it can be overwhelming, to us and then sometimes maybe even the author. Also, you can always tell because every now and then it feels like the characters suddenly become omnipotent, always guessing at things and knowing information about each other that they really shouldn’t be privy to. All just to move the plot along quicker. This book is patient, every conclusion and every discovery had throughout the story feels natural and earned, and even though there are four pov characters, I kept them straight (even though they certainly aren’t ha ha) in my head by breaking them down to their core traits: • Narsi: Sexy doctor, cultural alienation vs. adventurous wanderlust. • Atreau: Thirsty af, a sentimental trickster like Varric from Dragon Age. • Ariz: Stoic, buff, walks around like The Winter Soldier. • Fedeles: Prince man, can’t control his shadow. Like, his shadow is literally a demon thing. And after coming to that understanding, I wasn’t all that lost anymore! They were all great, but I did list them in terms of how much I enjoyed reading their chapters. Obviously, Narsi’s the best, but Atreau was especially entertaining because he puts on this entitled “rich boy” act around others as a smokescreen, because behind the scenes, he's actually amassing this huge spy network to keep tabs on the other nobles. And under this well-crafted façade, he’s surprisingly cutthroat and ruthless. Always planning on how best to use people to further his own agenda. But he’s also… really funny, because he literally can’t help but gush about Narsi at every single opportunity! Even when he isn’t present at that moment, you'd best believe that Atreau's there, showering him with adoring praise every couple of paragraphs. Watch out dude, people might think you actually have a heart. Mans was sprung for real. And I get it, you know? I’m pretty sure that I had a crush on him too. I think it’s actually pretty challenging to write a “charming” character and make them genuinely likable to the reader. Anytime I’m told a character is charming beforehand; I’m already gearing up to hate their ass. The problem for me is that most the time authors go really big with their personality and make them too loud, too obnoxious, and all-around too unpleasant. By the time they realize nobody actually loves their “love-to-hate,” "charmed, I'm sure," character, instead of rectifying the problems, they usually just have side-characters look to the camera and assure the reader that, no, they really, really are a smooth operator, and call it a day! Tell, don’t show, that’s what I always say! Anyway, Narsi was charming as hell. He has a quiet amusement and kind presence to him that permeates throughout the entire story. It’s telling that in a story full of spies, warriors, conniving nobles, and all kinds of magical creatures, it’s the humble physician that steals all the hearts and proves the most fun to follow along. Slight spoilers, but when he has a brush with death, not once did it feel out of place that several characters go to him to pay their respects, despite having only been in the city for a couple days at best. He serves (and he serves) as the glue that holds the whole thing together. Despite all the plotting and scheming, his grounded nature keeps the narrative from breaking at the seams. Because he’s the main focus, the story always feels tethered to something tangible. Also, as someone who’s mixed race, I found his trying to find a home and acceptance in a strange land painfully compelling. The way Narsi has to navigate not just through all the political scheming, but also the invisible social constructs put upon him because of the color of his skin was instantly relatable. His sense of displacement, how he had to be constantly hyperaware of his behavior around others, and how he’d always have to be "one of the good ones," accepting every dirty look in stride lest they react with violence… man, that’s real. Too real. He's basically become my favorite character from... anything, really. I guess this review kind of got derailed by my gushing, oops! I sound like Atreau now, huh? Yeah, so… I loved this book! Oh, and I didn’t realize it until way late, but apparently this is, like, the fifth book in a series!? I wasn’t too lost though (thanks to my amazing Sherlock deducing method, as seen all the way up there), and after finishing the next one, I’ll probably go back and binge read all of them! I’m only one book in and I honestly can’t get enough of this fantasy world that’s bursting with life and imagination. Happy reading! In a strange land, with no plans / Surrounded by doors, yeah / I can’t find myself anymore / With foreign people, you’re my temple / I want things like they were before / But I don’t know myself anymore (Strange Land – NIKI & Phum Viphurit) ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 16, 2024
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Mar 06, 2024
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Feb 16, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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| 1975338669
| 9781975338664
| 1975338669
| 4.50
| 350
| Feb 13, 2021
| Aug 23, 2022
|
it was amazing
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“There are no bargains between lions and men. I will kill you and eat you raw.” – The Song of Achilles. This is going to be more of a summation of my t “There are no bargains between lions and men. I will kill you and eat you raw.” – The Song of Achilles. This is going to be more of a summation of my thoughts about the series as a whole rather than just this specific supplementary materials book and my rating will mostly reflect that. It’s easier this way, because damn, this series skyrocketed into my top five manga pretty much instantly! Seriously, it’s up there with the greats. It has everything I love about a classic fantasy, but it also surprises with every volume without straying too far from its original premise of them learning how to eat monsters so they can save money on buying food. This author definitely knew how to take a theme and run with it! It reminded me a lot of Bone by Jeff Smith, where it starts out as a silly comedy with relatively low stakes, but then before you know it, you become completely enraptured by its deep lore and fascinating characters. It’s also a perfect example of how to do a “found-family” in a fantasy setting, in that… everyone in the party is a weirdo. Nothing better than a pack of freaks who have to save the world! I can’t really collect my thoughts in a productive way, so this won’t really be a review, but rather it’ll mostly just be just me listing things that I liked. You know, “I liked this bit and I liked that bit.” Also, mild spoilers! For example, I liked how when they get to the villain’s house, their first instinct is to rearrange the bookshelf because they didn’t like how it was organized. Most relatable moment for me. I also really liked Chilchuck. Best character ever put to page, if I’m honest. This book has each character’s “stats” (like a Dungeons & Dragons party), and he has a level five in “attitude.” Meaning his biggest asset is that… he’s a hater. Just like me for real. Anyway, I loved this series, and I’m not the same person I was a week ago when I started it! Oh, here’s my (somewhat) definitive top five manga of all time: 1.) Dragon Ball 2.) Fullmetal Alchemist 3.) Delicious in Dungeon (That’s this one!) 4.) Hunter X Hunter 5.) Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 06, 2024
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Feb 07, 2024
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Feb 06, 2024
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Paperback
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| 0316336262
| 9780316336260
| 0316336262
| 4.48
| 579
| Nov 14, 2013
| Feb 14, 2017
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it was amazing
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None
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Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 24, 2024
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Jan 24, 2024
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Jan 24, 2024
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Paperback
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| 9798988101505
| B0CB4T413B
| 4.41
| 417
| Aug 29, 2023
| Aug 29, 2023
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it was amazing
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Patience, got me crawling through minutes / Well aware when I’m in this / I ain’t waiting around / Oh no I ain’t waiting around (Easy Thing – Dom Fera
Patience, got me crawling through minutes / Well aware when I’m in this / I ain’t waiting around / Oh no I ain’t waiting around (Easy Thing – Dom Fera). Holy fuck! Wow, this was a good book! What a pleasant surprise. At first, I really only picked this one up because it looked cute and I thought it would be a nice way to pass the time. An easy thing, if you will. Now, it’s looking like this is one of those ones. You know, those books that you go back to again and again just to feel something. It captures that special kind of feeling that sometimes comes over you on a sunny afternoon. That mix of easy contentment and profound melancholy. Oh man, this book, I don't even have all the words to express how much I loved it. It’s funny, I actually knew there was something special about it just from reading the blurb (which I actually did this time)! When I saw that this was about immortality, I envisioned in perfect clarity a scene where Basie goes back to an older Kit at the end and their love is still as powerful as it was from their first meeting, and already got choked up! Mind you, this was before I even read the first word of the damn thing! Don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil whether or not something like that happens, but this story tugs at the heartstrings all the same. Thinking back, I guess you could say that I was predetermined to love this rather than the opposite. Huh, that’s a new one. Anyway, I’m always captivated by stories about immortality. From Tuck Everlasting to that episode “Long Live Walter Jameson” from The Twilight Zone, it’s always a subject that’s perfectly primed to explore themes of loneliness, stagnation, and belonging. And while Kit & Basie hits on all of these, it still manages to land firmly in happier territory. And I honestly couldn’t be more relieved for that. Maybe I’m being selfish, but I loved these two too much for there to be a bittersweet ending! Oh, I didn’t even talk about the characters… oops. Basie is an immortal man who's dealing with a recent loss and decides it's time to sell his house and travel coast to coast, L.A. to Chicago, and then across the North and South to Key Largo. All in a desperate attempt to try to “do immortality the right way.” And as these things tend to happen, a man named Kit is the one who buys his house as he's fulfilling his own wish of living out his Stardew Valley dreams by moving to the idyllic town of Long Lily, far away from noisy city life. With this hot dude now living in the only home Basie’s ever known, suddenly leaving seems a lot harder. Okay, there’s probably no way I could describe this book while also doing it justice, but please read it! It’s good, I promise! “Leaving” as a motif is always romanticized in stories, but this book flips that on its head. What if the big revelatory moment in a person’s life is staying? “He found that the quiet was not caused by a lack of things to say, but an overabundance of possibility.” ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 02, 2024
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Jan 20, 2024
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Dec 05, 2023
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ebook
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| 168550499X
| 9781685504991
| B0CC1L8CNF
| 4.11
| 197
| Jul 22, 2023
| Jul 22, 2023
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it was amazing
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Wizard with words tellin’ me my energy’s so bewitchin’ / So I’ll go first, there’s an open bar, let’s close this distance / Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh my, don
Wizard with words tellin’ me my energy’s so bewitchin’ / So I’ll go first, there’s an open bar, let’s close this distance / Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh my, don't make me have to spell it / All, all, all, all, all night (lowkey – NIKI). Damn it, I’m feeling all those pesky emotions again. My problem is when reading becomes the tiniest bit too habitual, I kind of forget what it’s actually like to be fully immersed in a book. I mean, when I was reading this, I would often find myself surprised at how into it I was. No skimming, no glazed eyes, and definitely no urge to check my phone! Like, oh yeah, reading is actually something I enjoy doing! It's always nice to find something that recaptures that special kind of joy. I’ve probably waxed poetic enough about how much I love this author’s entire book catalogue, and I’m sorry to say that I will most definitely be doing more of that here. I'm afraid I can’t help it! In many ways, Talis’ “luck magic” perfectly encapsulates what reading this was like; I’m riding high, easy like Sunday morning, knowing that everything will work out just fine. It’s a comfort read, for sure. I also really loved the message! It’s refreshing because a lot of books like to do the whole “believe in yourself” thing, and that’s a nice sentiment and all, but sometimes stories about those who need a little extra help in that department are nice too. Sometimes folks need someone else to believe in them first. Yeah, so I hope that it’s clear that I loved this book. From its soulful coziness to its easy-going, lyrical prose, this is the perfect read if you’re looking for a pretty book full of pretty words where a caring knight falls for a pretty wizard. “The King’s going boating on the river in three days.” “How nice for him.” “Are all magicians this unhelpful? I’ve never met one before.” “No. I told you I’m not a very good one.” ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 11, 2023
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Dec 29, 2023
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Nov 29, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 9798218307707
| B0CM2PTT71
| 4.16
| 393
| unknown
| Dec 01, 2023
|
it was amazing
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All this jewelry ain’t no use when it’s this dark / It’s my favorite part, we see the lights, they got so far (Slide – Calvin Harris feat. Frank Ocean
All this jewelry ain’t no use when it’s this dark / It’s my favorite part, we see the lights, they got so far (Slide – Calvin Harris feat. Frank Ocean). You know, I don’t actually go out of my way to read all these vampire stories, but they seem to keep finding me anyway. Sometimes this leads to something that sucks (vampire joke ha ha), and sometimes I find another favorite! You can probably guess which category this one falls under. Anyway, enough dancing around it, this book was awesome! It had every little thing that I need in a book of this genre and then some. I especially loved the relationship drama! Betrothed to one but in love with another! It’s a tale as old as time and I seriously live for this stuff. It’s set up like a love-triangle but it’s really not (thank the heavens). Oliver is supposed to get married to his childhood bully (“pest” might be a better word), Alexander, in order to combine two powerful families for status and power or something. It’s all very Game of Thrones in that regard. The only problem is that Alexander is actually desperately in love, and Oliver… is not. Because he was never given a choice in the matter and has never had any agency his entire life due to overbearing parents (I was ready to put their names in the Death Note from their first appearance!), he could never really go through with the match. All this considered, of course he falls in love with the first person to make him jump the octave and actually treat him with love and care. Enter Aries, the super sexy answer to all his dreams. Actually, that reminds me, the only way this book could have been more perfect is if Aries were a little more interesting. He’s not terrible or anything, but everybody else in this book is so dazzling and pretty, him included, that those characteristics almost overshadow anything else he has going for him. Oh, you know what I would have loved? Since Aries is supposed to be way older than Oliver, wouldn't it be cool if he looked like one of those old classic horror movie vampires!? Everything else would be the same (his devotion and progressiveness), but instead Oliver would be getting freaky deaky with Nosferatu! Hey, a guy could dream right? I’ll just watch The Shape of Water and get it out of my system. Anyway, it’s a little funny because we honestly see more of Oliver and Alexander sharing the page than the actual love-interest! Though, at the end of the day, I’m totally fine with that. It helps that I really enjoyed their dynamic! It’s cool because if this were any other book, Oliver would have ended up with Alexander after his whole self-improvement arc. See, Alexander is surprisingly the one who goes through the most character development in this book. At the start, he’s one of those unbearable royal jerks who always has some snide remark or put down for Oliver. It's one of those "he's mean because he likes you" kind of thing that I never understood. Every time Oliver calls him out on his behavior, he refuses to listen and claims that he’s simply being “brutally honest” to him in order to help him come out of his shell. They even do that thing I hate in books where they have all the other side-characters talk about how “it's fine, don't fret, he’s really such a softie deep down," but… that’s not enough, is it? Eventually he does get better (he’s actually my favorite character), but all the character development in the world can’t force someone to love you. There’s still too much resentment. Contaminated waters and all that. Like I said, I’ve read books where this line of thinking, forgiveness and moving forward, were the basic morals of the story, but thankfully that’s not the case here. Some people don’t need that; Oliver is a sensitive guy and he needs someone who’s sensitive to that. It’s tragic in a way because it’s pretty much flat out stated that these two could have ended up happy, with Oliver genuinely falling for Alexander if he’d simply listened to anything he had to say. Instead, he’d just continue to make the situation worse and worse by continuing to belittle Oliver time and time again. He fumbled it, there’s no way around it. Some mf’s are always trying to ice-skate uphill. Alexander is getting his own book later, so maybe try “gentle honesty” next time, buddy. Aside from all the messy relationship drama, this book also takes the time to explore themes of societal change through an ancient, traditional society of vampires. That's where the meat is! It's always nice when a book doesn't just do one thing, but two things. Two things, can you believe it!? Besides, vampires are always so unchanging and rigid, that they're the perfect literary vehicle to ask these questions, so it’s kind of a shame that we don’t get more stories like this one. Everything else feels too stuck on just having sexy vampires run around. Oh well, until then, I’m more than happy with Vampires of Eden, where we get a rich story with a deep thematic resonance... and sexy vampires running around. "When I open my eyes the next morning, I find that I did not die from embarrassment. Shame. I definitely wish that I had." ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 2024
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Jan 28, 2024
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Nov 13, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 1421539845
| 9781421539843
| 1421539845
| 4.75
| 6,041
| Dec 20, 2011
| Dec 20, 2011
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it was amazing
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None
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Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 03, 2023
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Nov 03, 2023
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Nov 03, 2023
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Paperback
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| 1975341945
| 9781975341947
| 1975341945
| 4.65
| 2,927
| Nov 27, 2020
| Feb 21, 2023
|
it was amazing
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Not to sound like a cat, but reading these is the equivalent to laying under a beam of sunlight. I don't know, I just feel an immense sense of comfort
Not to sound like a cat, but reading these is the equivalent to laying under a beam of sunlight. I don't know, I just feel an immense sense of comfort whenever I fall back on this series. A new favorite, most definitely.
...more
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Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 06, 2023
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Oct 11, 2023
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Oct 11, 2023
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Paperback
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| B0C94S9DCH
| 4.13
| 164
| unknown
| Sep 30, 2023
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it was amazing
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Nothing in the world mine for free / But my love, mine, all mine, all mine (My Love Mine All Mine - Mitski). Just in case no one else has said it alre Nothing in the world mine for free / But my love, mine, all mine, all mine (My Love Mine All Mine - Mitski). Just in case no one else has said it already: nobody out here is doing it like Sebastian Nothwell! I can't get enough of the way he writes! It'd be impossible to emphasize enough how the tenderness and care that he gives to his characters is a sight to behold and manages to take my breath away each and every time. Granted, as of writing this, I’ve only read two of his books (including this one, Fiorenzo), but it’s astonishing how the prose is always adorned with such a romantic flourish that makes it a challenge not to swoon with every sentence. Hopefully I'm not laying it on too thick, but it’s actually been a minute since I’ve cared about the characters in a story this much! It's gotten to the point where I miss them already despite having just finished the novel! But I'm probably getting ahead of myself, so I'll start by saying that the basic plot follows Fiore, a charming, handsome, and art-dealer chic courtesan who’s desperately looking for a sugar daddy to set him up comfortably for the rest of his days... and as luck would have it, then enters Enzo, a well-off lord who can be the answer to all of Fiore’s problems, but not exactly in the ways he’d originally imagined. As they say, real love is really scary, and money only pays the rent, love is forever, that's all your life, love is heaven sent. I think it goes without saying that I thought that this was the loveliest of lovely stories. I especially enjoyed reading from Enzo’s point-of-view because, while he’s certainly not as flashy or fiery as Fiore, his calm and sensitive demeanor gave the book the much-needed glue to hold everything together, keeping things grounded. Besides, it was achingly wonderful to see Fiore through his adoring gaze. Oh, he also gets an A+ in my grade-book for awesome character design in that… he wears a cool mask. That does it for me. In fact, that's all I need, really. Ahh, I’m sure it’s obvious, but I hope it’s clear that I loved this book so, so much, and I tear up just thinking back on it! It’s a little uncanny how much of it feels specifically catered to my interests as a reader! But perhaps most importantly, this is a book that understands the most important thing; nothing is more romantic than the ever-so-slightly-macabre, and hey, why not add a duel to the death? ... You know, for good measure. How very Shakespearean. Love it! “You,” Enzo murmured against Fiore’s lips as they broke off for breath, “are a devotion.” ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 12, 2023
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Nov 21, 2023
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Sep 29, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 1948272539
| 9781948272537
| B09M3PH64H
| 4.56
| 196
| Nov 16, 2021
| Nov 16, 2021
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it was amazing
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Oh, my flame. Some things will never change (My Flame - Bobby Caldwell). Wow, all I can say is… wow! How do you review a book where the end of every c
Oh, my flame. Some things will never change (My Flame - Bobby Caldwell). Wow, all I can say is… wow! How do you review a book where the end of every chapter leaves you heartbroken. The way it captured so perfectly the subjects of loneliness and grief left me awestruck. This book put me through the ringer, and let me tell you, every emotion I’m capable of feeling… well, I felt it. And though it’s true that this was kind of a melancholic read, the tone was important for us to understand why these characters are the way they are. And after wading through all the sadness, the beautiful ending made it all worth it. I’m not too proud to admit that I teared up. The book’s premise is actually pretty simple, we follow a park ranger, Will, as he comes back to work in Denali Borough, Alaska after a bad break up with his former lover Nikhil, a researcher of the local wildlife, and a pretty big deal in certain circles. The book jumps back-and-forth between the “present day,” summer of 1993 and the year prior to understand exactly why they had broken up. I mention this because I’m a little embarrassed to admit that it took me an appallingly long time to realize that there were two timelines, what can I say? I’m terrible with dates. The combination of the simple and blunt prose with the painstakingly relatable subject matter gave the story a raw honesty that made it both hard to continue and impossible to put down. The bittersweet tone is not unlike the movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in the way it uses an interesting narrative structure as a backdrop for examining the relationship between two lovers who can’t help but have a bad case of that classic, “will-they-won’t-they.” But it’s specifically that simplicity that gives it the breathing room to allow us to really care for these characters, and in the end, hope against all odds that they're able to find their happily-ever-after. At the core of it, this novel is really about two lost souls who couldn’t make it work… until they could. As for the characters, while I loved Nikhil and Will, and they both had complete and satisfying character arcs despite Will being the only point-of-view narration, I think Will was the real standout for me. I especially loved the way his introverted and isolationist nature is explored and how his unwillingness to be vulnerable around other people starts out as a powerful, even admirable, shield, but slowly becomes incredibly corrosive and detrimental to his well-being. The question is asked as to whether or not Will was actually content and happy with his life or if he was so used to survival that he’d just resigned himself to solitude permanently. How letting someone in after years of closing yourself off can be the hardest thing in the world, and allowing them to know, really know, all of you will often be both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. Because of these things, he actually reminded me a little of Ari from Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (guy who’s only read Ari & Dante: hmm getting a lot of Ari & Dante vibes from this), who's one of my favorite characters in all of fiction. Oh, and another thing I loved (I’ve only got things I loved about this book!) was the way it dealt with the character’s relationships with their parents. There’s no preaching about forgiveness and the conflict isn’t wrapped up in a neat little bow by the final pages. It captures the struggle perfectly. The characters know logically that, due to their parent’s treatment of them, that they deserve no consideration, no room for contemplation, but they still can’t help but still have that small part that yearns for their acceptance. It’s very true to real life, but it also shows that there is happiness to be found elsewhere, maybe even in the arms of someone whose love is unconditional. Anyway, this book is everything to me, and all I can really say is that I’m so happy that books like this exist. Oh damn, I’m feeling all the emotions again! “My fingertips brushed the back of his hand, and I knew that he knew it wasn’t an accident.” ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 05, 2023
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Sep 24, 2023
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Sep 05, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 1645993639
| 9781645993636
| B09YDBFBDY
| 4.75
| 40
| unknown
| May 11, 2022
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it was amazing
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This is the life, bo-bo, bo-bo, bo, Bohemia~aa (Boho Days - Jonathan Larson)! You know, sometimes I love a book so much that most positive descriptors
This is the life, bo-bo, bo-bo, bo, Bohemia~aa (Boho Days - Jonathan Larson)! You know, sometimes I love a book so much that most positive descriptors don’t match up to what I’m feeling inside, like I’m about to explode with positivity! I usually just work back around to calling things “so good,” and call it a day. Anyway, ahh this book was so good! Okay, so I’m going to try to summarize the plot, none of which will be a spoiler because this book has the most detailed blurb out there, but mostly for myself because it gets pretty complicated at points and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. We follow a young Jewish man named Anders, as he travels to Paris to seek out the bohemian life of an artist. Only he learns at his university that he has no real interest in the more traditional arts and quickly pivots into the unknown (at the time) medium of photography. This eventually leads to him falling hard for an aspiring model Jean, and they become locally famous for Anders’ masterful eye and Jeans beauty. One thing leads to the next and suddenly Anders finds work in secretly photographing Nazi’s in compromising positions as a security measure and as a form of blackmail. Sounds like a rather unorthodox form of resistance, yeah? Well, what do you do when you can’t do nothing, but there’s nothing you can do? ...You do what you can. This was an incredibly powerful and harrowing tale of how a gay man’s pursuit of something more in life quickly turns into a struggle for survival under Nazi occupied Paris and then into one of resistance and eventually liberation. And the novel’s resolution was pure perfection! Chef's kiss! Sometimes violence is the answer! I also loved how the poetic prose was juxtaposed with the harsh subject matter, showing that these character’s spirit was never really destroyed, and never could be. This feels less like a novel, and more like a declaration; queer-folk have always been here, and we always will be. ”We are history. How many gays in how many generations had faced the same, or worse? How many had breakfasted, laughed with friends, held hands with lovers as the spiral of history conspired against them? How many Jews?” ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 25, 2023
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Aug 18, 2023
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Jul 25, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 1646568311
| 9781646568314
| B099W13K81
| 4.10
| 752
| Jul 24, 2021
| Jul 24, 2021
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it was amazing
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Hey, guess what? The book called Magician is wonderfully magical! Who would’ve thought? This reads like the loveliest of lovely fables, and while I wa
Hey, guess what? The book called Magician is wonderfully magical! Who would’ve thought? This reads like the loveliest of lovely fables, and while I was pleasantly surprised with the beautiful and wistful prose, what I really wasn’t expecting was just how much I’d fall in love with the characters. Lorre was the most modest arrogant guy out there and Gareth is the classic humble prince; their contrasted yet complimentary personalities is what made this incredibly special to me. The story definitely portrays a more high-fantasy world (Lorre can shoot fire balls, teleport, and pretty much do anything and everything), but I appreciated the more grounded and introspective approach when it came to the characters. What do you do when your main character is already the most powerful sorcerer around? Well, you focus on the parts that he can’t fix with magic, like his loneliness or his struggles with trying to be a better person. Stories that deal with a person whose kindness doesn’t come naturally to them and their ensuing struggles with doing the right thing will always be more compelling to me than the ones that follow someone who’s good and true from the start. Besides I love, love, love the message that it’s never too late to be a better person than you were before. Even if it’s only the “you” from a few minutes ago. This book is a “story-after-the-story"...type of story and feels like a gentle blend between a Studio Ghibli film and Circe by Madeline Miller. I can honestly think of no higher praise! You can really do anything with fantasy, so I’m just glad that this chose to be an honest and bewitching love story. “Lorre stopped talking, happy, and let himself think and feel only that, for a moment. Later he’d remember that he did not deserve it. But for now, right now – He could have it. Selfishly, secretly, privately: he could hold onto it.” ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 27, 2023
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May 03, 2023
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Apr 27, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 1939096138
| 9781939096135
| B0C9S8ZL1J
| 3.99
| 180
| Sep 12, 2023
| Sep 12, 2023
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it was amazing
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If I could see through walls, I could see you're faking / If you could see my thoughts, you would see our faces (Ivy – Frank Ocean). The thing about lo If I could see through walls, I could see you're faking / If you could see my thoughts, you would see our faces (Ivy – Frank Ocean). The thing about loving a book is that it always has me on the cusp of saying something weird. I honestly couldn’t count the number of times I stopped mid-chapter, thought for a second, and was like, “Man, I want to eat this book.” Odd thing to think, huh? Good thing I never said it aloud or put it in writing, because that would be pretty embarrassing. Besides, that’s probably the wrong turn-of-phrase anyway, because this book was thoroughly heartbreaking. Not overly dour or cold, but rather, raw and emotionally devastating… in a cleansing kind of way. Like I was scrubbed clean. Seriously though, I ache just thinking about it. This was a fantastic book, and due in no small part to the fact that Adrien was one of the most fully fleshed out main characters that I’ve ever encountered in a long, long time. In many ways he reminded me of Mordin Solus from Mass Effect (Warning: nerdy info-dump incoming), who is an alien scientist living in quiet regret for his part in working on a bio-weapon called the Genophage; its sole purpose being to sterilize another race (the Krogan) and effectively force them to live on the brink of extinction. Similarly, Adrien and Mordin are both wholly unapologetic about their insufferable genius. They know they're the smartest in the room and want everybody else to know it too. They also both constantly prattle on and on about how the ends justify the means. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t change the fact that they’re constantly wondering at how important the ever elusive “greater good” even is when looking at how darkened their souls have become. I painted him in a rather bad light, but I promise that Adrien garners a fair bit of sympathy immediately just by how depressing his life has become. He lives his days consumed with the guilt at his own sordid and unethical experiments that continue to haunt him to this day. I know it's hard to love a superior know-it-all... but the thing is, I honestly liked him from his first words spoken. He's got this muted politeness that I usually only see in classic fiction, giving this book a wonderful juxtaposition in how the terrible events happening on the page are presented. But ignoring his Edgar Allan Poe-esque narration style for a moment, I need to point out that this book really isn’t an endless, depressing slog about people feeling sorry for themselves. Sure, it’s messy and ugly at times, but I like to see it as being about the process of freeing yourself and finding the strength to move forward, despite the past, or maybe because of it. I also appreciated that Adrien is never fully let off the hook either. Empathy alone doesn't equate to absolution. He knows that there are no such thing as halfway crooks and that he’s done terrible things, but he doesn’t know how to fix it other than hate himself for his past mistakes. What more is there to say or do? Well, as it turns out, there’s plenty. Ch-ch-changes! For one, he could try again. Maybe you can’t make it right, but you can do better. What I found the most interesting (and refreshing), is that... this is a book full of cowardice. From every side-character to even Adrien himself, an inescapable fear seeps its way through every page. I feel it's important to mention this because it's what drives every character's actions throughout. It's all filtered through their fear! And because the novel is written this way, it only helps to highlight their acts of bravery all the more and makes them shine that much brighter. We watch as this story goes into painful detail on how inaction to injustice has only ever allowed problems to fester and get worse. Is it that people can’t do anything, or that they simply won’t? You know, “Get up, Stand up!” Even though Adrien is unwell and has to fight because his mouth’s too slick, I was surprised at how relieved I found myself when he was finally able to do the right thing in the end. In his own way. Was it to assuage the guilt eating away at him or because he was basically forced into a situation where he has to confront his naked complacency headlong? Probably both. But, I think a more important question to ask is… does it even matter in the end? I'm generally of the mind that a good deed is a good deed, regardless of intent. There’s something about following reluctant heroes that always inspires me. When danger comes, every fiber of their being tells them to run, to save themselves, but then a much smaller, stronger, part of them makes them stay. Ahh, that's the good stuff. I could cry. Yeah so, this was an incredibly powerful read. The way it manages to create a sensitive dialogue around mental illness, addiction, and societal corruption all within a detailed and complicated fantasy world was a wonder to behold. It's nothing short of a miracle that it worked at all! A lot of fantasy stories like to fall back on tried-and-true and inherent shared knowledge that we all seem to have about fantasy worlds (here are the elves, here are the orcs, etc.), so it’s nice to see one that’s not only immersive in its world-building, but also sets out to say something. I tend to overuse passive voice, but I can say with my whole heart that this book is categorically excellent. Had to bold it to really get my point across. Anyway, I think it’s safe to say that I read a lot, and every now and then, I sometimes find myself speed-reading, skim-skimming, just so I can find out what happens next quicker. Like I’m trying to win the book, or something. Whatever that means. It takes a book like this to knock me back into my senses. Cursebreakers dared me to keep turning the page, and yet, demanded my patience all the same. While I wish the ending chapters showed the aftermath in more clarity, I think all I really wanted was more. More of this world, more of these characters, and more from this author. Either way, all I can say is... I’m ravenous. “I’m tired of my life being about better soon.” ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 26, 2024
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Apr 28, 2024
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Apr 25, 2023
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Kindle Edition
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| 125021744X
| 9781250217448
| 125021744X
| 3.92
| 79,056
| Apr 25, 2023
| Apr 25, 2023
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it was amazing
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I’m crying everyone’s tears, I’m the King of Sorrow (King of Sorrow - Sade)! That's my way of saying this made me really emotional! A new favorite… ag
I’m crying everyone’s tears, I’m the King of Sorrow (King of Sorrow - Sade)! That's my way of saying this made me really emotional! A new favorite… again! Hooray! This book is wonderful, and I think at the end of the day, I really did love it. But I think I should start with some of the issues I had, get the nasty business out of the way, you know? First of all, I thought the humor was at points a little childish and a little desperate (especially in the middle portion). Sometimes I wanted to reach into the pages and scream, “yes, you’re very funny, can we move on now!?” I couldn’t help but feel like several chapters could have been shortened by quite a bit. A simple discussion between the characters about the group’s plan of action would often turn into several pages of word salad simply because the narrative saw it fit to add an endless number of inane jokes. There’s a character that we meet in the middle of the story who all of our main characters insult by saying that they're always “saying a lot without saying anything,” but I’d argue that half the main characters have this problem! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. And I don’t know if this makes sense, but this book is incredibly loud. With the constant repetitive nature of the humor… I felt like I couldn’t get a moment of peace. The little robot will say something cute, then something funny. The nurse robot will say something evil, then funny. Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat, RINSE AND REPEAT! I mean, there’s a reason why C-3PO and R2-D2 suddenly disappear every time Darth Vader shows up; it’s a signal so the audience instinctively knows that now is the time to take things seriously. When exactly are we supposed to take this book seriously? Now on to the reasons why I still say I loved this book, as I do believe it’s greater than the sum of its parts. While I can’t say it’s perfect, when it wants to be serious, there’s a gorgeous picture painted here. I can honestly say that I teared up several times throughout the story. It must be T.J. Klune’s signature whimsical charm! Any story that’s about fighting fate, I’m there, I’m seated! Anyway, so normally the books I read remind me of a few other things (like a song or a movie), and I know this is a loose retelling of Pinocchio, but I was reminded me of about a million other stories! It constantly had me like, “hey, this is like that thing from that one thing!” So instead of peppering them around evenly like a normal person, I think I’ll just list them all here so I don’t seem like I’m trying to brag as if I’m Mr. Pop Culture or whatever. When reading this, I couldn’t help but see constant shades of: WALL-E, Mass Effect 3, Terminator 2, Blade Runner, Fallout 4, and finally… The Iron Giant! Phew, that’s a lot of things! All of which have similar themes nature vs. nurture, and questions whether or not a machine can move past its programing and become something more, maybe even something human. And like many of those stories, the answer given is a resounding “yes!” ...There are no strings on me. All in all, I just think that this story has a really lovely message that it’s never too late to become a better person, and that any person, human or machine, is never too far gone. What else is there to say? This book is flawed, messy, and sometimes even inconsistent. Yet it remains beautiful and poignant all the same. I think that’s enough. ”Quiet this, a solitary moment in an imperfect world where existence did not need to be proven or earned. It just was, and here, in this place, that counted for something. Perhaps everything.” ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 23, 2023
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Jun 18, 2023
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Apr 20, 2023
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Hardcover
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my rating |
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| 4.44
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it was amazing
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Oct 29, 2024
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Aug 13, 2024
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| 4.77
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it was amazing
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Jul 04, 2024
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Jul 04, 2024
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| 4.58
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it was amazing
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Aug 24, 2024
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Jun 12, 2024
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| 4.12
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it was amazing
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Jul 21, 2024
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Jun 08, 2024
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| 4.58
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it was amazing
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Mar 30, 2024
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Mar 30, 2024
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| 4.47
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it was amazing
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Mar 28, 2024
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Mar 14, 2024
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| 4.31
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it was amazing
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Mar 06, 2024
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Feb 16, 2024
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| 4.50
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it was amazing
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Feb 07, 2024
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Feb 06, 2024
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| 4.48
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it was amazing
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Jan 24, 2024
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Jan 24, 2024
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| 4.41
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it was amazing
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Jan 20, 2024
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Dec 05, 2023
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| 4.11
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it was amazing
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Dec 29, 2023
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Nov 29, 2023
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| 4.16
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it was amazing
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Jan 28, 2024
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Nov 13, 2023
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| 4.75
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it was amazing
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Nov 03, 2023
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Nov 03, 2023
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| 4.65
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it was amazing
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Oct 11, 2023
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Oct 11, 2023
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| 4.13
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it was amazing
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Nov 21, 2023
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Sep 29, 2023
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| 4.56
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it was amazing
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Sep 24, 2023
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Sep 05, 2023
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| 4.75
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it was amazing
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Aug 18, 2023
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Jul 25, 2023
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| 4.10
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it was amazing
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May 03, 2023
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Apr 27, 2023
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| 3.99
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it was amazing
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Apr 28, 2024
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Apr 25, 2023
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| 3.92
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it was amazing
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Jun 18, 2023
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Apr 20, 2023
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